**“I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the Spirit comes He will lead you to the complete truth…All He tells you will be taken from what is mine.” **“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but indeed…to the ends of the earth.” [John 16:8-9, 12-13, 15]

Before His ascension, Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always, yes even to the end of time.” [Matthew 28:17-20]

Note also Matthew 16:18-20 “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.”

I wonder, are we supposed to doubt the Holy Spirit acted in the two popes associated with the Council? In the Bishops? We believe in Jesus’ promises or we don’t?

Vatican II was initiated AS an Ecumenical Council (a Council binding on the whole Church), And its decisions were promulgated with the collegial authority of all the bishops of the world.

Trad “Catholics” who are in schism from the Pope are an interesting animal. The abuses they perceive are based on MISinterpretations of V II. But instead of joining with their orthodox Catholic brethren in combatting these MISinterpretations, they instead yoke themselves with the abusers by agreeing with the MISinterpretations, and then fomenting a schism based on these misconceptions.

Jesus said, “Whoever listens to you listens to me.” A council is the most solemn form of teaching by the Church that there is. And don’t forget that all the decrees of Vatican II were signed by the Pope. Anyone who would seriously challenge the doctrinal declarations of the Council might be committing a serious sin against faith and endangering their salvation.

A council is the most solemn form of teaching by the Church that there is. And don’t forget that all the decrees of Vatican II were signed by the Pope. Anyone who would seriously challenge the doctrinal declarations of the Council might be committing a serious sin against faith and endangering their salvation.

I am not contending with you, but I just want to clarify that the authority of an Ecumenical Council does not come from the Pope alone, but from the infallible collective authority of the entire college- head and body together.

In fact, the authority of the council does not come from the pope at all, although it cannot exercice its authority ouutside the authority of the pope. It’s like a bishop in his diocese; he gets his authority directly from the apostles but exercise it under the pope’s authority. More cogently, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in both cases, results directly from Christ’s mandate.